by Serena Smith

Here is something that happened a few years ago that helped me to think of different creative solutions when there is a desperate need! :)

Time slipped away and before I knew it, the baby shower is tomorrow. It is 8:00 pm and I still have to embroider a baby blanket for my cousin's new little baby. I am thinking to myself, "No problem, I have a piece of pink flannel that I can embroider the baby's info."

About an hour later, I have the design finished on the computer and sent to the embroidery machine. I found the pink flannel, rounded the corners, mark the embroidery placement, place the fabric in the hoop and stitch the design.

After the embroidery is complete, I trim the jump threads and tear off the stabilizer on the back. I'm thinking, "I just need to serge a roll hem around the edge on the serger and I will be done."

As I am pressing the embroidery, I notice a white mark in the center of the blanket. To my horror, the mark grows into a line! This line extends through the center of the blanket, yes, a faded line right on the fold of the fabric.

It's staring right up at me and no amount of rubbing is going to lessen that stark white line! "What am I going to do," I am thinking to myself, "I don't have any more pink flannel to stitch another design nor do I have time to start over." It is almost 10:00 pm at this time.

After I panicked for a moment, I started rummaging through my drawer of serger thread. Staring right at me were 3 cones of pink variegated wooly nylon thread! An idea started forming in my head, "What if I would serge a roll hem right over that faded line in addition to the edges?"

I serged right over the faded line, right down the center of the blanket. To create a more completed look, I decided to roll hem down the center of the blanket going the other direction in addition to serging around the edges. After the serging is complete, I laid it out and evaluated my work, "It still needs something to tie it all together."



I dug around in my drawer of buttons and found some delicate little pink roses which I securely hand tacked on in various places. "Yes, that will work. In fact, the variegated thread and roses add a nice touch," I say to myself.



I quickly pressed and wrapped the gift, glad to have it finished. It wasn't yet midnight and I could cross that off my to do list for tomorrow!

I don't know how many times I have had something similar to this happen. I only have a short time frame to finish something, I make or find a mistake and I have to figure out a way to correct or cover it up! Let me tell you, it CAN be done!! If I could count the projects that have an added butterfly, another quilt border, an asymmetrical design instead of symmetrical or an extra detail, the number would be in the high double digits!

Adding embroidery to cover up a hole in the fabric, inserting another fabric color because you ran out of the original or appliqueing a design over a scorch mark the iron left is not covering up a mistake or trying to make it look correct. It is called CREATIVITY!! You can come up with the most creative ideas when you are desperate!

So the next time you make a mistake or find a flaw, don't go into panic mode! Take a deep breath, calm down and ask yourself, "How can I create a new design element in this project?"

By the way, my flawed pink blanket turned out so well that I have made multiple blankets the same way! Here is one that I have stashed away for future use!